1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program and a recording medium, which are adapted to effect two-way communications between a first information processing apparatus to which an external device is connected and a second information processing apparatus having a display apparatus, for instance. More specifically, the present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program and a recording medium, which enable a control panel displayed on a display of a display apparatus in relation to a first information processing apparatus and an external device to be controlled with a remote controller attached to a second information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, remote control systems are widely used, which realized that an image on a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) or a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) connected to a base apparatus and/or an image of a TV tuner contained in the base apparatus may be watched on a display apparatus, such as a mobile terminal equipment or a personal computer, and the like via the Internet and/or a LAN.
The remote control systems of this type are adapted to effect remote control of an external apparatus from a display apparatus side by, upon receipt of an operating signal sent from the display apparatus to the base apparatus, converting the received operating signal into an infrared control signal and emitting the infrared control signal to the external apparatus.
As remote control methods, there is disclosed, for instance, a method of effecting remote control of a remote external apparatus from a display apparatus side by displaying, on a display of the display apparatus, a control panel for a user to make operational input, while with a touch panel mounted on a display surface, directly touching a touch panel portion corresponding to a predetermined position of the control panel (See Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP 2002-34023, hereinafter referred as Patent Document 1).
However, types of the display apparatus are not limited to dedicated monitors having touch panel functions, but various types may be available. Thus, for a display apparatus such as those not having such touch panel functions, the control panel displayed on the display of the display apparatus is operated by an attached remote controller.
FIG. 15 shows a screen on which a control panel 200 is displayed. A menu screen of an external device to be remote-controlled, for instance, is displayed on the screen of a display apparatus 300. The control panel 200 is displayed on the right side of the screen of the display apparatus 300 by using an attached remote controller 400, a cursor of the control panel 200 on screen is moved or selected toward a predetermined item by a direction button 410 of the attached remote controller 400, and then a user presses an enter button 420 of the attached remote controller 400. The item selected by movement of a cursor may be recognized by a change of a display color of a selected item button, for instance. If a play button 210 of the control panel 200 is selected and pressed in this manner, for instance, an operating signal is transmitted to the base apparatus to be converted into a control signal, and the converted control signal is then supplied to the external device. In the external device, processing is performed based on the control signal data such as AV data corresponding to the operating signal is transmitted to the display apparatus 300 with the base apparatus in between. Thus, the remote control of the external device from the display apparatus 300 is performed.